Clothes-line.



w. s-. HARNDEN.

CLOTHES LINE.

(Application filed July 0, 1902.;

Patented Dec. 2, I902.

(No Ilodl.)

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'NITED STATES WESLEY S. HARNDEN, OF P AOLA, KANSAS.

CLOTHES-LiNE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 714,797, dated December 2, 1902.

Application filed July 9, 1902. Serial No. 114,938. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WESLEY S. HARNDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paola, in the county of Miami and State of Kansas, have invented a new an d useful Clothes-Line,

of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in clothes-lines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of clothes-lines and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one having an endless line and adapted to enable the clothes to be applied to the same from one point and capable of being operated to run the clothes to or from the operator to facilitate hanging the clothes and removing them from the line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes-line of this character which,

after the clothes have been hung, may be from blowing the clothes around the supporting-pulleys and also to prevent the clothes from moving downward should there be any slack in the endless line.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l'is a side elevation of a clothes-line constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the construction for locking the lever to hold the line against movement. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the manner of detachably securing the upper end of the pintle of the hinged bracket in its bearing.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates an endless line constructed of braided wire or any other suitable material and arranged upon pulleys 2 and 3, which are provided with peripheral grooves'to receive the endless line and which are arranged vertically, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The pulley 2 is mounted within a fixed vertical bracket 4, composed of an upto receive the pulley 2.

The sides, which are approximately triangular, are provided at their apeXes with bearing-openings, and they have side openings to lighten the bracket. Each side of. the bracket 4. is composed of inclined upper and lower portions and a central horizontal portion formed by the side openings. The bearing-openings receive a short horizontal shaft 7, on which is mounted the pulley 2, and the latter is fixed to the shaft by a suitable set-screw or other device. One end of the shaft is extended and squared to receive a crank handle or lever 8, secured to the shaft by means of a suitable pin or key and adapted to be rotated to actuate the endless line for moving the clothes inward or outward on the lower flight of the same.

In order to prevent the wind from blowing the clothes around the pulleys or the clothes from accidentally moving downward by reason of any slack in the endless line, the bracket 4 is provided adjacent to the crankhandle with a fixed circular ratchet 9, having teeth shouldered at both sides, whereby when a spring-actuated dog or pawl 10 of the lever is in engagement with the ratchet the endless line willbe locked against movement in either direction. The spring-actuated pawl or dog consists of a rod mounted in suitable guides 11, and connected with a latch-lever l2, pivoted to the crank-handle, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The spring-actuated pawl or dog is connected with the said latch-lever, preferably by means of a link 13, which is eccentrically pivoted to the head of the lever, and the latter is adapted to be oscillated to swing the link outward to withdraw the pawl or dog from engagement with the ratchet. The crank-handle is provided at one side of the pivot'of the latch-lever with a projecting lug, forming a stop 14: and arranged to limit the movement of the latch-lever. When the latchlever is in engagement with the lug, the link is carried slightly beyond the center or pivotal point of the lever, and the spring 15 operates to hold the parts in such position. The spring is disposed on the pawl or dog and engages the same and the outer stop or guide 11, whereby it is adapted to throw the pawl or dog inward when the same is freeto move.

The pulley 3 is mounted between sides of a hinged bracket 16, which is provided with upper and lower pivots or spindles 17 and 18,

pintle.

arranged in upper and lower bearings 19 and 20 of a plate 21. The lower bearing forms a socket, and the upper bearing, which has its opening extended entirely through it, is spaced from the body portion of the bracket to permit the latter to move vertically to carry the lower pivot or pintle out of the bearingsocket. After the lower end of the pintle is removed from the lower socket the upper end of the pintle may be readily disengaged from 'the upper bearing. The pintles are retained in the bearings by a suitable key 21*, passing through the upper bearing above the upper The pintles permit the bracket 16 to oscillate in the bearings to enable the plate 21 to be attached to the post or other support and fitted fiat against the same without affecting the arrangement of the pulley 3 with relation to the pulley 2, as the bracket will be permitted to swing through approximately one-half of a revolution to adjust it. The pulley 3 is mounted on a suitable shaft 22, having a head at one end and provided at the other end with a pin or key.

It will be seen that the clothes-line is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be mounted adjacent to a porch or the like, and that it will enable clothes to be hung on it and removed from it without leaving the porch.

What I claim is A device of the class described comprising a fixed bracketcom posed of two vertical sides and provided at one side with a rigid ratchet, a shaft mounted in the fixed bracket, an adjustable bracket having sides, pulleys mounted on the shaft of the fixed bracket and between the sides of the adjustable bracket, a crank-handle secured to the shaft and having a stop, a spring-actuated dog arranged to engage the ratchet and mounted on the crankhandle, an eccentrically-pivoted latch-lever mounted on the crank-handle adjacent to the stop and connected with the pawl or dog and adapted,when swung against the stop, to hold the pawl or dog out of engagement, and an endless line arranged on the pulleys, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WESLEY S. HARNDEN.

Y Witnesses:

O. W. DEVINS, M. I-IARNDEN. 

